June 22, 2011 (Wednesday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- 2011 Bahraini uprising: The Bahraini government sentences 10 pro-democracy activists to life in prison for their role in the uprising. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
- 2011 Libyan civil war:
- Denmark officially recognizes the National Transitional Council of Libya as the "sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people" in the current transition period. (Berlingske)
- China receives the leader of the opposition National Transitional Council of Libya. (Xinhua)
- Philippine Army soldiers capture five suspected members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in a raid on Basilan Island. (AP via The Guardian)
- A photographer is shot during violence in east Belfast in Northern Ireland. (BBC)
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021):
- The President of the United States Barack Obama announces that 33,000 US troops will be withdrawn from the War in Afghanistan by the northern summer of 2012. (Sydney Morning Herald) (The New York Times) (AFP via France 24) (CNN)
Arts and culture
- U.S. country music singer Glen Campbell is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. (BBC)
- Art experts conclude that a Vincent van Gogh painting previously believed to be a self-portrait is in fact a portrait of van Gogh's brother, Theo. (BBC)
- Indigenous Australian Kim Scott wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award for his book That Deadman Dance. (ABC News Australia)
Business and economics
- 2010–2011 Greek protests: Nationwide protests continue as Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou attempts to pass new cuts in public spending. (BBC)
- Rolls-Royce and Qantas announce an out-of-court settlement of their dispute over an Airbus engine explosion over Indonesia in November 2010. (Reuters)
Disasters
- Flights resume in southeast Australia as the volcanic ash cloud from the 2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption clears although flights to Tasmania and New Zealand are still affected. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Officials from the People's Republic of China warn that the 2011 China floods will have a negative impact on food prices. (Yonhap News)
- The death toll from RusAir Flight 9605 in Petrozavodsk, Russia, rises to 45. (RIA Novosti)
- A tornado touches down in the US city of Louisville, Kentucky near the University of Louisville Belknap campus, damaging some buildings at the Churchill Downs horse racing track. (The Courier-Journal)
International relations
- Indonesia bans its domestic servants from working in Saudi Arabia following the execution of a maid who was beheaded with a sword. (BBC)
- South Korea announces that it will build a new resettlement centre for refugees from North Korea. (AFP via Channel News Asia)
- President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir threatens to cut off pipelines carrying Southern Sudanese petroleum (oil) on July 1 unless a deal is done. (BBC)
Law and crime
- Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei is freed on bail. Under the terms of his bail agreement, he is not permitted to disclose the reason for his arrest and detention. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (China Daily)
- Ireland is sued for compensation over a measles vaccination that caused serious brain injury. (RTÉ)
- Journalist Anatoly Bitkov, the chief editor of the Kolyma Plus TV channel, is found dead in his apartment in the town of Magadan in the Russian Far East. (RIA Novosti)
- In the United Kingdom, the first coordinated, nationwide Police National Database is launched, making information easier to share between forces (PublicService) (The Daily Telegraph)
- Fugitive alleged Boston crime boss James J. Bulger is arrested in the US city of Santa Monica, California. (Los Angeles Times)
Politics
- A vigil is held in London to demand the release of journalist Urunboy Usmonov, imprisoned by authorities in Tajikistan last week. Usmonov is reported to be in ill health. (BBC)
- Some 450 people are arrested in Belarus after protests against the Government's economic policies. (RIA Novosti)
- The Japanese Diet votes to extend its session until August 31 so that it can consider key legislation. (NHK World)
Sports
- Sports fans will find out in the next few days if they have been successful in obtaining tickets for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. (Press Association via The Guardian)
- Australian water polo player James Stanton is banned for two years from competition for using the banned substance Clenbuterol. (ESPN)